Energy Security 2

Question 1

Give some strengths and limitations of oil/gas exploration

Answer 1

+ Improves economic fortunes of area + jobs
+ Increases house prices (beneficial for home owners; a problem for first time buyers)

• Inequalities as benefits not evenly distributed
• Water contamination and methane leaks
• Pressure on (road) infrastructure

Question 2

Give an example of oil/gas exploration

Answer 2

North Dakota USA

Settlements such as Dickinson and Wilison have grown rapidly

Question 3

Give some strengths and limitations of Nuclear as an energy supply

Answer 3

+ Does not produce CO2 emissions (prevented 1.8 million deaths 1976-2009).
+ Lowest number of deaths per unit produced of energy
+ New technologies in the future could make energy production much more efficient.

• Proliferation of nuclear energy – hard to distinguish if a factory is set up for energy use or to make nuclear weapons
• Nuclear waste and pollution – many poisonous elements in the process, radioactive/carcinogenic products
• 7 major factory disasters in the world involved nuclear power

Question 4

Give an example of Nuclear being used as an energy supply

Answer 4

Chernobyl – 26th April 1986

30% of Chernobyl’s Uranium now in the atmosphere ($235 billion in damages)

Question 5

Give some strengths and limitations of Wind as an energy supply

Answer 5

+ Once installed there is an abundance of renewable electricity - One turbine can power up to 5000 homes per day
+ Some days wind accounts for 20% of the UK’s fuel
+ Offshore wind farms are less visually polluting nd have more consistent supply of wind. However 2x more expensive

• Hard to find sites with suitable conditions - average speed needs to be over 7m/s
• Reliant on daily climate
• Visual pollution, this then causes rebellion from locals such as in Wales

Question 6

Give an example of Wind being used as an energy supply

Answer 6

China, India, Phillipines - fastest growing use of wind turbines in Asia
- 3000 wind turbines in Tamil India

Question 7

Give some strengths and limitations of Solar as an energy supply

Answer 7

+ Helps the UK reach target of 15% renewable energy by 2020
+ Provides 15% household’s electricy supply per year
+ Can farm between panels (eg. Pig farms and solar panels often mixed)
+ Can be assembled and maintained by individuals

• Visual pollution
• May have to fell trees to maximise sunlight exposure.
• Panels have to be south facing
• Not as much electricity generated as from other supplies (HEP, Nuclear, Coal)

Question 8

Give an example of Solar being used as an energy supply

Answer 8

Estimated that by 2050 solar to be the world’s biggest source of electricity

Question 9

Give some strengths and limitations of HEP as an energy supply

Answer 9

+ Cost of electricity through HEP is the cheapest once the dam has been constructed (dollar/kwatt)

+ Can be adjusted and controlled to cope with sudden surges/depletion in demand

• Building the infrastructure to generate HEP isn’t just costly, but can spoil the visual enviroment
• Requires very specific types of sites

Question 10

Give an example of HEP being used as an energy supply

Answer 10

Most of the energy powering Chamonix cable cars is generated by HEP

HEP crucial for Switzerland becoming carbon neutral by 2050

Question 11

Give some strengths and limitations of Tidal as an energy supply

Answer 11

+ Very predictable as scientists know how the tides will behave
+ Inexpensive to maintain
+ High energy density

• Initial construction cost very high
• Damaging effect on plants/animals. Disturbs migration
• Produces power for only 10h of day when tide is moving in and out

Question 12

Give an example of HEP being used as an energy supply

Answer 12

River Severn estuary

Question 13

Give some strengths and limitations of Biofuels as an energy supply

Answer 13

+ Produces enough electricity for 66,000 homes
+ Sustainable cycle as crops are replanted each time
+ Resources such as Trees can be “shredded” so easier to transport

• Unsustainable, large amounts of CO2 released from the burning of hay
• Only sustainable if straw is obtained locally ( Straw is bulk so not economically viable to transport)

Question 14

Give an example of Biofuels being used as an energy supply

Answer 14

Sleaford, Lincolnshire

• Straw is burnt which is not needed by the farmers and so is sent to the plant where it is burned to heat water like many other thermal power plants

Question 15

Give 4 ways to manage energy consumption (UK)

Answer 15

Stimulating energy market competition (Uswitch)

Carbon emission targets

Monitoring energy use (Smart meter)

Domestic energy saving subsidies (The Green Deal)

Question 16

Describe the key characteristics of Stimulating energy market competition

Answer 16

If easier to switch supplier, energy companies will work hard to make savings, become more efficient, and pass those savings not businesses and domestic customers

+ Very easy for customers to switch and lead to savings

• Energy companies will only do this if they generally think they will loose customers (not case atm)

Question 17

Describe the key characteristics of Monitoring energy use

Answer 17

UK energy policy = all domestic properties have smart meters installed.
If homeowners can visually monitor their energy bills, more alike to take conservative measures

+ Saves energy consumption, reduces CO2
+ Customers gain control of their energy consumption

• Government well behind target (5 years) due to the cost of installation

Question 18

Describe the key characteristics of Carbon emissions targets

Answer 18

Businesses and industry subjected to carbon caps.
Can be fined for extending beyond emissions limit, encouraging receding consumption

+ On paper, a clear framework for reducing emissions, and therefore energy use

• Has not worked in generous as the caps too generous

Question 19

Describe the key characteristics of Domestic energy saving subsidies

Answer 19

The Green Deal introduced in 2010, providing subsidies for home insulation, draught exclusion, more efficient boilers and double glazing.

+ Reduces waste energy + therefore reduces energy consumption + household bills

• Too expensive for government, scrapped in Dec 2015

Question 20

Over 25% of UK CO2 emissions come from……..use

Answer 20

Home

Question 21

Give an example of energy conservation in the home

Answer 21

2008 - Woking Borough Council converted a double glazed detached house to show homeowners what further steps they could take to conserve more energy

Question 22

What is the Combined heating and power system

+ Example

Answer 22

Heat from homes is being wasted.

During local generation of electricity, heat is recovered as a by-product which is used to heat homes.

Byker Wall Estate (Newcastle) has 3 gas bolers/biomas plant and saw bills dramatically drop

Question 23

Give two industrial strategies to reduce energy consumption

Answer 23

Combined heat and power systems (CHP) generate electricity whilst capturing usable heat that is produced in process.
Centre Parts uses 2 CHP generators and saves the company £200,000 + 900 tonnes CO2 per year

Using more renewable fuels (bioethanol)

Question 24

Give two transport strategies to reduce energy consumption

Answer 24

Campaigns to encourage public transport/walking/cycling

Hybrid cars will be a more sustainable option as the proportion of electricity generated by renewable increases

Question 25

Give the cycle of acid rain (6)

Dry Deposition = gas and minuet mineral particles

Answer 25

Burning fossil fuels (factory/vehicles)

Nitrogen Oxide + SO2 combines with water vapour in atmosphere

Moved by the Prevailing wind

Breaks down into Nitric acid + Sulphuric acid

Falls as acid rain/snow

Dry Deposition (up to 250 km from source) damages buildings causes health risk 
Wet deposition (up to 2000km) Damages forests + polluting water supplies

Question 26

What are the largest emitters of acid rain pollutants

Answer 26

Industrial sources

Question 27

Give 3 serious effects of acid rain on soils (Long terms)

Answer 27

PLANT NUTRIENTS LOST

TOXIC METALS RELEASED

PHOSPHATES BECOME FIXED

Question 28

Explain Plants loosing nutrients as a result of acid rain on soils

Answer 28

• Magnesium, potassium and calcium are washed out of the soil (leaching )by the percolation of acidic water.
• Leads to displacement of sensitive species that cannot cope with the reduced availability of nutrients

Question 29

Explain Released toxic metals as a consequence of acid rain on soils

Answer 29

• When soil is acidified, concentration of aluminium ions in soil water increases, these ions are potentially poisonous to root systems.
• Can reduce growth and make them more vulnerable to disease, droughts and pests. Negative effect on microorganisms living in soil which normally break down again matter

Question 30

Explain Phosphates becoming fixed as a consequence of acid rain on soils

Answer 30

• The released aluminium ions bind with phosphorus (another vital nutrient) in to aluminium phosphate, making it less accessible to plants.

Question 31

Why is the effect of acid rain on soils so significant

Answer 31

Most water reaches lakes, rivers and steams form the surrounding landscape

The effect of acid deposition on soils are crucial to acid shock episodes

Question 32

What is acid shock

Answer 32

Occurs when snow thaws in spring or during heavy autumn rains

Hydrogen ions and toxic metals that have built up in the soil over long periods are rapidly flushed out of the soil into water

These sudden pulses of harmful chemicals affect plants and animals in streams + lakes in a. number of ways

Question 33

Give some consequent of acid shock

Answer 33

Death of large numbers of fish as some species are more sensitive to suddenly reduced PH levels, most notably many cold water members of the salmon family (rainbow trout)

Fish are especially vulnerable when spawning or when young have recently hatched - Aluminium ions obstruct gills

Smaller organism such as algae and plankton are also affected, and other species higher up the food chain may suffer indirectly from changes to availability fo food sources

Question 34

Why is the problem of acidification not over when SO2 emissions have declines rapidly in Europe and N.America

Answer 34

Effects of acidification take a long time to work through the soils and acid shocks can still affect waterways that are no longer chronically acidified

10% in New York region where chronically acidified. However, an additional 31% of lakes in area continue to be susceptible to episodes of acidification or acid shocks

Question 35

Nuclear power stations are vulnerable to……………

Answer 35

Climate change

Question 36

How aren clear power stations vulnerable to climate change

Answer 36

Most sites originally built on coast because they need an abundant supply of water for cooling

Nuclear power stations are becomingly increasingly at risk to sea levels rising and floods (Dungeness Coast).

Expensive to maintain sea walls and flood defences. especially when decommissioned as site needs to be protected for 100 years but without the funding from electricity generation

Storm surges at current levels - nuclear sites at risk of becoming islands. if this happens whilst yeah are still functioning hen workers cannot access th piste and safety may be compromised

Question 37

Give a problem with decommissioning nuclear power plants

Answer 37

Takes 100 years + to decommission ulcer power station one stopped generating electricity, costing up to £48 billion

The site must them be protected against the sea until.it has been dismantled and all radioactive materials removed

Currently no safe repository for long-lived radioactive waste in UK

Question 38

How long will sea levels continue to rise

Answer 38

However, even greenhouse has emissions stopped today, sea levels would continue rising for next couple of centuries (irreversible before 2500)